


murky

by twelveinterror



Series: blacks and blues, blacks and reds. [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, How Do I Tag, Ink, M/M, OsaAka Week 2020, Osaaka, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, Writing on Skin, platonic BokuAka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:08:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26298436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twelveinterror/pseuds/twelveinterror
Summary: murky - meaning dark and gloomy.'Aren't you going to ask my name?''where's the fun in that?'
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Miya Osamu
Series: blacks and blues, blacks and reds. [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1910800
Comments: 10
Kudos: 133
Collections: Osaaka Week 2020





	murky

When the older of a pair turns sixteen, they can start communicating through ink on skin.

It was the fifth of October, the day of Osamu Miya's sixteenth birthday when he first wrote to his soul mate. His hands were shaking. Chest heaving as he wrote three letters on his palm with a messy script.

_'hey'_

_'Hello there! Happy birthday?'_

Well, that was quick. 

Words in neat and small handwriting. It tickled his skin. He got a feeling that his soulmate was a respectful and respectable person, with proper grammar and punctuation gracing his words. It made Osamu's letters look like a child's first attempt of the alphabet.

_'thanks whats yer fave food?'_

_'Nanohana with karashi mustard.'_

_'nice'_

_'Aren't you going to ask my name?'_

Should he? They could just exchange names and maybe numbers too and start dating from there. After all, they are fated to be together.

' _where's the fun in that?'_

~

' _i have a competition today wish me luck?'_

_'Good luck!'_

His team won second place.

~

' _I don't think I can do this.'_ showed up on his left thigh one night. He grabbed the first pen he could find.

He stops. What should he say? What does his soulmate want to hear? What do they need to hear? Words have power, and he doesn't want to say the wrong thing.

' _ya can rest a lil then do it_  
 _dont rush yerself'_

The next day, he wakes up to feathers kissing his skin. _'I owe you.'_ written on his fore arm. He draws a smiley face on his pinky.

As the seasons come and go, Osamu and his soul mate exchanged words of encouragement. Luck on his inner thighs, happiness on his pinkies, hardwork on his knees, and hope on his palms.

' _I hope you have a great day!_ ' rested on hip bone.

' _you too'_

Sometimes he feels really guilty for scrubbing the ink off his body, but its comforting to know that there is someone connected on the other end of his string. 

They cheered each other on, but never exchanged any information. All he knows about them is they are the same age as him, likes nanohana, has a way with words, very nice, and holds a pen a lot.

Ink stained his fingertips and the side of his right palm. He could only guess. Do they like drawing? Are they cramming on school work? Why does their pen blot a lot? And why are his hands always covered in blues eleven minutes before midnight?

He drew an arrow pointing at the ink. ' _you up?'_

_'Yeah, just writing.'_

_'you know they really be hard to scrub off'_

_'I'm sorry.'_

_'so watcha writing?'_

_'Its nothing.'_

_'nothing? youve been up every night it tickles sometimes'_

Osamu's arms were filled easily. Letter over letter. Words overlapping, twisting and turning into poems, only to be washed away in the morning.

~

His second year of highschool came fast like a train running in full speed. Career talks, life planning, counseling, and all that other shit.

When asked about where he sees himself in the future, Atsumu spoke for the both of them saying "Takin' on the volleyball world together, duh!"

Osamu felt like he had just swallowed cotton.

Four W's and an H.

What is he passionate about? Food, volleyball, and being better than Atsumu.  
Where does he find comfort? In the kitchen, steam caressing his face as savory scents fill the air.  
Why does he find satisfaction in cooking? Nothing beats the sparkle in the eyes during the first bite and the contented sighs after the last bite.  
When can he pull this off? When he gains enough experience under the guidance of others, he could venture out on his own. Maybe a degree in business or something, or go straight to culinary school. 

He wants to enter the food industry in the future and Atsumu is raging.

_'watcha wanna do for a living?'_

_'Write and be rich, why do you ask?'_

_'my stupid brother wont let me do shit on my own'_

_'You are your own person, and you're bound to go in different directions. He can't stop you. So, what do you want to do for a living?'_

_'open up my own restaurant and marry you i guess'_

_'Wow.'_

_'well its inevitable we ARE made for each other'_

_'We are.'_

_'i jus dont wanna spend my whole life as my brothers brother'_

_'Maybe he's being immature right now, but he'll come around.'_

_'i guess hes still my shithead of a brother. no poems tonight?'_

_'No, just thinking.'_

_'about?'_

_'My future and how I'll establish myself as a writer.'_

_'yer poems are dope i know you make everyone swoon with yer words.'_

_'You're the only one who knows what I've been doing at night.'_

_'sounds like somethin sexy ngl'_

_'You're embarrassing hahaha'_

_'but for real your words are too pretty to be kept as a secret'_

_'I just end up hating everything I write.'_

_'then ill make you write my name'_

_'Wow.'_

Black and blues left no space on Osamu's left arm. It's beautiful, a masterpiece made by two souls connected by fate. Fingers dipped in swirls of ink, spiraling up to his shoulders.

_'leg'_

_'I would read my favorite authors' works and think why can't I be like them? Why can't I write as good as them? why can't-'_

Osamu interrupts by scribbling over their sentences.

_'idk about writing styles or anythin but if you cant write as good as them then write better than them does that make any sense?'_

_'No'_

_'i tried haha but you can eventually do it you cant push yerself to be like them because we gotta mature first you know? experience and all that other shit'_

_'I guess.'_

~

The gym reeked of rowdy teenage boys and defeat.

 _'I know you can win!'_ burned his sides like a hot rod of branding iron.

It was over before it began. The second seed lost on the second round. His teammates already went back to the hotel to rest after a grueling match, but Atsumu insisted on watching the other games.

In watching volleyball, what do we focus on? The ball up in the air? The Ace's powerful spike? The blockers? Or the grace of setting the ball to the apex of the spiker's reach?

Fukorodani's setter, number five. Dark hair, middle parted, six feet tall, and pale. Moves with class, and nothing like the brash plays he did earlier. He couldn't tell the color of the setter's eyes from where he was standing, but there is something in that gaze that glues his shoes on the floor.

Osamu catches his eyes. What color are they? Blue like the ocean? Green like a swamp? Or gray like the skies today?

How do you even spell gray?

Fukorodani Academy wins two sets against Matsuyama Nishi Shogyo High. The ace envelops the setter in a tight embrace.

' _goodluck!_ ' heavy on his heart.

~

_'lost'_

_'Me too.'_

_'how do ya spell gray or grey?'_

They encircled 'grey'.

_'i jus noticed that yer a guy'_

_'And you are too.'_

_'yeah'_

_'Are you okay with that?'_

_'why wont i be?'_

_'Because...'_

_'because?'_

_'People think its wrong.'_

_'do YOU think its wrong?'_

_'No'_

_'then theres nothing wrong with that'_

_'I'm sorry.'_

_'ya literally did nothin wrong_   
_now tell me something interesting that happened to you'_

_'Okay, so my senpai's soulmate is his best friend and he never knew until...'_

~

Years went by and the gray in his hair fades. Osamu opened Onigiri Miya's first branch in Hyogo and Atsumu joined the MSBY Black Jackals. 

What happened yesterday shouldn't be dwelled on, so they strived to be the happiest in their own ways. 

Miya Osamu is finally his own person. He studied hard and well, he established his restaurant with his hard work.

' _I knew you could do it._ '

Ink continued to stain his fingers all these nights on eleven o'clock throughout midnight, and it disappears in the morning. His soulmate's words became sharper and clearer. Pen scraped his skin, leaving marks to stay. Frustrated writing being veiled by soft sonnets. It hurts so good. 

"Hey can ya help bring some food at my apartment later?"

"Why would I help ya?"

"Because I just won against that son of a bitch, come on."

The MSBY Black Jackals just won against EJP Raijin, and Suna and Atsumu were having some silly bet Osamu refused to participate in. 

"Well, you said help. I'm not gonna do everythin' by myself."

"Who do ya take me for? I can cook too!"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go to the grocery later."

~

Osamu is on friendly terms with Atsumu's teammates. He likes to believe that some prefer him over his brother, like Sakusa.

When they arrived, cheers erupted in the apartment. 

"Osamu - san is here!"

"Thank god, I don't want to eat whatever Miya made."

"Omi - kun! My brother is Miya too!"

"I don't want to eat whatever you made."

"Now that's just mean!"

The team greeted him politely. Well, he almost got crushed by Bokuto's hug, but it's okay. Hinata was bright as usual, Sakusa was sitting on the stool that Atsumu cleaned just for him, and the rest were having steady conversations and eating happily.  
Suna is here too, along with Komori and Washio. Atsumu was gloating on his win against Suna, and Komori was cackling beside Sakusa.

"Woah! This is amazing Mya - Sam! I gotta tell Akaashi, he'll love this!"

Drinks got involved and some already went home. Only Bokuto, Hinata, Suna, Sakusa, and Komori remained.

"What were you guys even betting on?"

"If I win, Tsumu draws a dick on his face."

"And if I win, he gets a tat."

"So if Suna - san won, Atsumu - san and his soulmate get a dick to the face?"

"Yeah."

"Wait do you even have a soulmate?"

"I don't!"

"You don't?"

"I don't know!"

"Well, I didn't know who my soulmate was until my best friend angrily drew on my face and it appeared on his face too."

Osamu only drank two bottles of beer, because he needs to be up in the morning.

"Oh my god, they're so drunk. Look at them!" Komori and Sakusa sat in front of him drinking their own bottles of beer.

Suna is threatening Atsumu with a marker, and Atsumu is hiding behind Hinata. Bokuto is crying on the phone while singing to a Disney song.

"Should we stop them?"

"Let them be."

"Who'll be takin' them home?"

"I'll come home with Sunarin." Komori raises his hand.

"Hinata lives downstairs and I live next door." Sakusa picks on his sweater. 

"How 'bout Bokkun?"

"Crashing here? Maybe he'll cuddle with Atsumu." 

Night passed and the only ones left are Osamu, Bokuto, and Atsumu, who's asleep on the couch.

"Up ya go." Osamu pulled on Bokuto, supporting his weight.

"How about Tsum - Tsum?"

"He passed out on his couch in his own apartment."

"And me?"

"Yer a guest and you can stay in his room, but clean up first. Tsumu hates getting his sheets dirty."

"Oh, you have ink on your fingers!"

He looks at his hands, then his watch. 11:47 pm.

"It happens."

"Maybe your soulmate's an editor like Akaashi!"

"Yer boyfriend?"

"Nah, my best friend! You'll like him I swear! I'll introduce you someday."

"Night Bokkun."

"Good night Mya - Sam."

"Clean yerself up."

"Yeah."

Osamu cleaned up, though the dishes can be washed tomorrow morning. He stored the left overs in containers in the fridge, threw away the trash with proper segregation of course. Then draped a blanket over Atsumu's sleeping figure, the hem of the blanket tucked under his chin and covering his neck just the way he likes it.

Atsumu never told him about his soulmate. He claims he doesn't have one, and whenever he catches Osamu scribbling away on his thigh past midnight, he says some shit like;

"Shut up."

"I ain't sayin' anythin'!"

"Yer yearnin' is loud!"

"Yer just jealous."

"Ya look filthy with ink all over yer body."

Osamu knew there was a reason why he reacted that way and maybe Sunarin did too, but they have to respect his twin's decision because he is a grown man no matter how much of a disaster he is.

He leaves a glass of water on the coffee table and padded over to the guest room, took a shower, and layed on bed with a pen in his hand.

_'yer awake'_

_'I am.'_

_'no poems tonight?'_

_'Catching up on some deadlines.'_

_'should i not bother you?'_

_'No its fine, I need a break too.'_

_'you hungry?'_

_'Are you going to send me food?'_

_'fast food okay?'_

_'No need, I'm going to make myself a quick snack.'_

_'gonna eat instant ramen?'_

_'Caught me.'_

_'i promise the first time i see ya im gonna feed ya good food'_

_'I'll hold on to that.'_

_'my brothers friend saw the ink stains'_

_'What did they say?'_

_'that maybe yer an editor'_

_'Wow, I am one.'_

_'really?'_

_'Yes'_

_'man i gotta thank him for the clue'_

_'You really want to meet me don't you?'_

_'well meet when we do though i cant wait to see yer face and feed you somethin not instant ramen'_

_'Me too.'_

He sleeps dipped in ink and wakes up as a blank canvas.

~

The long awaited Schweiden Adlers and MSBY Black Jackals match is here and Osamu mans his own Onigiri Miya food stall. The Sendai City Gymnasium is teeming with people, familiar faces everywhere like a highschool reunion. People lined up infront of the stand getting their fill of food before the game starts.

Both teams were warming up. He met Karasuno's former player with the jump float serve. Customers were in lines, its a good thing that he brought two of his staff members.

A man in coat and glasses is next in line. He looks familiar. Dark hair, middle parted, six feet tall, and pale. He looked over the glass display with mirth in his eyes. His eyes are dark and gloomy in color, a mix of blue, green, and gray.

It's murky, he remembered.

Fukurodani's setter.

"Onigiri Miya's rice balls are very good. Do you still not have a Tokyo Branch?"

"Thank you. Not yet, we're still thinking about it."

"I'll have one pickled plum and one tuna please."

"Here ya go, enjoy!"

"Thank you for the food!"

Osamu expects him to eat the onigiri in small bites but he inhaled the first onigiri like it was nothing.

"Wow this is so good! Bokuto - san used to give me cold ones and I just reheat them in the microwave."

They stood and watched the start of the game together, occasionally making remarks on the game and the players.

"I got to head back, thank you Miya - san."

"Here ya go." Osamu hands a paper bag to him.

"Oh, what's this?"

"Just some tamago onigiri to go." Before he could reach inside his pocket, Osamu spoke. "No that's free, jus' take it."

"Thank you so much."

~

"I see you've met Akaashi." Bokuto nudged his shoulder.

"Yes we did."

"I knew you'd get along! Wait I see Tetsu!"

"Excited isn't he?"

"He is, ya comin' back to Tokyo?"

"After dinner, yes."

"This is gonna sound weird but do you know some good spots in Tokyo?"

"For the Onigiri Miya branch? I'll do what I can to help you, here's my calling card."

~

_'Onigiri Miya is the best, I think they're going to have a Tokyo branch soon. I'm so excited! You should try it sometime.'_

Osamu's heart drops, holy shit this is it. Somehow he always knew.

_'i own onigiri miya'_

_'Osamu Miya'_

_'Akaashi Keiji'_

_'I knew it oh my god good thing we exchanged numbers earlier I'm calling you now'_

**Author's Note:**

> hi thank you for reading! this is my entry for osaaka week 2020 day 6 tier 1: soulmates  
> i listened to mayday parade while writing 
> 
> i'm @twelveinterror at twitter talk to me hshshs


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